In today’s highly competitive business environment, delivering a superior customer experience is more complicated than ever. Today’s customers interact with a dozen different channels and mediums every day – brick-and-mortar, website, social media, apps, digital marketplaces, phone, chat, email, and so on. Not only that, but they have come to expect more from brands.
Today’s customers expect speed, convenience, and quality of service – all at the same time.
That’s why traditional, voice-only contact centers are no longer cutting it.
Enter co-browsing – a powerful tool that revolutionizes contact centers, enhances support efficiency, and boosts customer satisfaction.
But what exactly is co-browsing, and why should you care about it?
In this article, we’ll delve into the concept of co-browsing, explain who it’s for, unpack its benefits, and illustrate how it compares to alternative tools. We’ll also highlight the key considerations you need to bear in mind, from privacy and security to compliance, when implementing a co-browsing solution. Most importantly, we’ll provide practical tips on how to successfully implement co-browsing into your customer service process.
Let’s dive in.
What is Co-Browsing?
Co-browsing is a digital tool that allows an agent and a customer to navigate and interact with the same web page simultaneously – as if they were in the same room.
While different co-browsing tools have their own approach to this concept, platforms built for contact centers (like Grypp) also offer features like:
- Viewport Matching: Both parties seamlessly interact with the same screen. Any action taken by the agent is reflected on the customer’s screen and vice versa.
- Remote Control: When necessary, the agent can take control of the customer’s viewport to guide them to the next step.
- Highlighting / Markup: The agent can easily highlight a part of the screen to draw the customer’s attention to something important.
- Collaborative Form Fills: Agent and customer can fill out a form and enter text together, at the same time, reducing the likelihood of errors.
- Compliant T&Cs: Agents can save significant time by allowing customers to read and accept terms and conditions right on the screen.
- E-signatures: Customers can easily provide e-signatures during a co-browsing session to save time and simplify the process.
- Session Locking: If the customer needs to enter sensitive information (like a credit card number) – Grypp’s co-browsing allows for the session to be “locked” to prevent the agent from seeing private data.
The customer service applications for this solution are endless.
Imagine a customer struggling to fill out a complex form on your site.
Instead of attempting to painstakingly explain each step over the phone, your agent can simply use co-browsing to take control of the customer’s screen and guide them through the process in real-time.
Co-browsing offers a plethora of benefits to both customers and agents.
For customers, it provides a seamless, engaging, and personalized service, reducing frustration and boosting satisfaction. It eliminates the need for the customer to describe their issue, and instead, they can show it, leading to quicker resolution.
For agents, co-browsing offers a chance to better understand customers’ needs and issues. It reduces the time spent on each call and increases the likelihood of resolving the issue in the first contact. Moreover, by having a direct view of what the customer is looking at, co-browsing provides an excellent opportunity for upselling and cross-selling.
Co-Browsing vs. Traditional Screen Sharing
Traditional screen sharing and co-browsing are two distinct technologies that serve different purposes in the realm of digital interaction. While they may appear similar at first glance, their capabilities and applications are profoundly different.
Screen-Sharing
Screen sharing is a tool that allows one person to project the contents of their screen to another person’s screen. There is a “presenter,” who is in control of the screen, and an “audience” who passively watches.
There are many tools that allow basic screen sharing – some of which you are probably familiar with from your work. Microsoft Teams, Google Meets, and Zoom are all popular workplace communication tools that allow a presenter to cast their screen to an audience.
But while these tools are great for simple presentations and team meetings, they lack collaborative functionality to make them truly useful in a customer service environment. For the audience (or your customers) a shared screen is just a static object that they can’t interact with. And if the customer wants to show the agent something, they have to fumble around with presenter controls – clumsily passing presenter-mode back and forth.
Simply put, traditional screen-sharing apps are not designed with customer service applications in mind. There are no collaborative functions, markups, remote control, privacy settings, etc.
Co-Browsing
Co-browsing is a much more comprehensive and dynamic tool.
Where screen sharing creates a “presenter” and “audience” dynamic, co-browsing creates an environment of “collaborators” – where both the agent and customer can directly interact with what’s on the screen at the same time. It’s like having a digital assistant right there in the room with you, guiding you through web pages, pointing out essential features, taking control when necessary, and even highlighting important information.
Furthermore, more sophisticated co-browsing solutions (like Grypp) offer security features designed to keep sensitive customer data private and comply with all relevant privacy standards, including HIPAA, GDPR, etc.
Why Should You Care About Co-Browsing?
Consider this:
Businesses lose more than $75 billion due to poor customer service every single year. Even worse:
- 67% of customers have become “serial switchers” – willing to drop a brand because of a subpar customer service experience
- 39% of customers claimed they would never use the “offending” brand again
- 86% of customers would be much more likely to remain loyal if they had an emotional connection with their customer service agents
In a world where business competition is increasing, customer expectations are changing, and technology is rapidly transforming every facet of the customer experience – failing to keep up is tantamount to losing customers (and ultimately, revenue).
Co-browsing tools like Grypp have been proven to increase customer loyalty, supercharge NPS / CSAT, improve retention, and boost revenue.
Free Case Study: How Co-Browse Boosts KPIs
Let’s dive into a few more of these benefits.
Co-Browsing Enhances Customer Experience
Imagine a customer struggling to navigate your website or seeking a specific product. Co-browsing allows your agents to step in, guiding the customer in real-time through your digital environment. It’s like having a personal shopping assistant or a tech expert right there with them, providing an unparalleled level of service.
Co-Browsing Increases Efficiency and Reduces Average Handle Time
Co-browsing cuts down the time spent on call resolution, as agents can directly interact with the problem at hand, instead of relying on verbal descriptions. By visually guiding customers, you remove misunderstandings and confusion, ultimately reducing the time it takes to resolve issues.
Co-Browsing Boosts Sales and Revenues
With co-browsing, agents can upsell and cross-sell effectively by adding products to the customer’s cart or showcasing different options, directly impacting the bottom line. It turns customer interactions into potential sales opportunities.
Co-Browsing Reduces Customer Attrition
In a competitive market, superior service is a key differentiator. By providing an innovative, efficient, and personal service through co-browsing, you can significantly increase customer loyalty, ensuring they stay with your brand instead of turning to competitors.
Co-Browsing Empowers Agents
Giving your agents the right tools is key to their success and performance. Co-browsing empowers them to deliver better service, resolve issues faster, and enjoy a more fulfilling work experience. It’s a win-win for your contact center and your customers.
Who Can Benefit from Co-Browsing?
Co-browsing has the potential to revolutionize customer interactions across a wide range of industries. Whether you’re in banking, telecom, retail, utilities, or hospitality, this tool can help enhance customer experience, boost sales, and streamline operations.
Here’s a closer look at who can reap the most benefits:
Large Enterprises with Extensive Customer Interaction
Companies with a high volume of customer interactions, particularly those with complex product offerings or services, can significantly benefit from co-browsing. It enables real-time, personalized assistance, simplifying processes for customers and making interactions more efficient.
Contact Centers and BPOs
Contact centers, whether in-house or outsourced (BPOs), can leverage co-browsing to improve their key metrics. It can help reduce Average Handle Time (AHT), improve First Call Resolution (FCR), and ultimately increase customer satisfaction and loyalty.
Industries with Complex Products or Services
Industries such as banking, insurance, and telecom, where services or products can be complex, can utilize co-browsing to effectively guide customers through processes or explain product features. It can help reduce confusion, improve understanding, and enhance the overall customer experience.
E-commerce Businesses
Co-browsing can act as a virtual shopping assistant, helping customers navigate through product catalogs, make selections, and even add items to their cart. This can help increase conversion rates and average order values, directly impacting revenues.
Companies with a Strong Focus on Customer Experience
For businesses that prioritize customer experience as a key differentiator, co-browsing can be a game-changer. By offering real-time, interactive support, companies can provide a level of service that sets them apart from their competitors.
Compliance-Heavy Industries
In industries where compliance is crucial, co-browsing offers a secure way to interact with customers. With features like field masking and session locking, businesses can ensure they’re meeting regulatory requirements while providing top-notch service.
Critical Considerations for Co-Browsing Solutions
While co-browsing offers a host of benefits, it’s crucial to address potential concerns around privacy, security, and compliance. In today’s digital age, protecting sensitive customer data is more important than ever, and organizations need to ensure that their co-browsing solution doesn’t compromise on this front.
Privacy
Co-browsing should enhance the customer experience without infringing on personal privacy. Advanced co-browsing solutions, like Grypp, ensure this by providing features such as field masking, which blocks viewers from seeing text in form fields, and session locking, which allows users to go into privacy mode while entering sensitive information.
Security
In addition to privacy, the security of the shared data is paramount. Look for a co-browsing solution that uses robust encryption methods to keep data secure during transmission. Grypp’s co-browsing solution, for instance, operates with high-end encryption to ensure the utmost security.
Compliance
In certain industries such as healthcare and finance, adherence to compliance standards is non-negotiable. It’s critical to choose a co-browsing solution that complies with all relevant regulatory standards, such as GDPR in Europe and HIPAA in the United States. Grypp has been designed to meet these standards, giving you peace of mind when interacting with customers.
Control
A good co-browsing solution provides full control over what is shared, ensuring no sensitive information is unintentionally displayed. With Grypp, agents can easily manage what they share on screen, avoiding unnecessary exposure of confidential data.
Consent
Before initiating a co-browsing session, it’s essential to obtain the customer’s consent. Grypp has built-in mechanisms for obtaining explicit user consent, ensuring transparency and trust.
Choosing the Right Co-Browsing Solution
Just as important as deciding to implement co-browsing is the decision on which co-browsing solution to use. Here are some factors to consider when choosing a co-browsing tool:
Features and Functionality
Different co-browsing solutions offer different features. Some provide basic screen-sharing, while others, like Grypp, offer a rich set of interactive tools such as remote control, file sharing, and live contracts with e-signature. Look for a solution that meets your specific needs and is versatile enough to handle a variety of customer interactions.
Security and Compliance
Data security is of paramount importance in any customer-facing technology. Make sure your chosen solution has robust security measures in place, including end-to-end encryption and features like field masking. Also, ensure it complies with all relevant data protection laws, such as GDPR and HIPAA.
Ease of Use
The co-browsing solution should be easy for both agents and customers to use. A solution with a steep learning curve can frustrate users and defeat the purpose of improving the customer experience.
Integration
The tool should be able to seamlessly integrate with your existing technology stack. This includes your CRM, contact center software, and any other tools your agents use. Grypp’s no-code solution, for instance, can be quickly and easily implemented, providing immediate value.
Support and Training
Your chosen provider should offer comprehensive support and training to ensure that your agents can effectively use the co-browsing tool. This support should also extend to technical issues that may arise during use.
Scalability
As your business grows, your co-browsing solution should be able to scale with it. A good solution will be able to accommodate an increasing number of agents and customers without a drop in performance.
Conclusion
In a digital-first world, providing stellar customer experiences is no longer a luxury but a necessity.
Co-browsing emerges as a powerful tool in this regard, bridging the gap between traditional voice-only support and the need for visual, interactive assistance. It transforms the customer-agent interaction from a potentially frustrating and confusing experience into a collaborative, engaging, and effective one.
By understanding what co-browsing is, how it surpasses traditional screen-sharing, and why it is essential, businesses can leverage it to improve their contact center performance, drive customer satisfaction, and boost revenues.
But the choice of co-browsing solution matters just as much, if not more.
The right co-browsing solution, like Grypp, offers a feature-rich, secure, and easy-to-use platform that integrates seamlessly into existing systems. It enables agents to guide customers through complex issues, share documents, capture signatures, and more in real-time – all while ensuring the utmost in data privacy and compliance.
The era of one-dimensional, friction-filled customer support is behind us. With co-browsing, businesses can usher in a new age of interactive, personalized, and delightful customer experiences. So, why wait? It’s time to get Grypped.
